Time To Unite / Rebel

Groundation were part of a special moment when homegrown UK bands closed the gap with their Jamaican counterparts, matching them in songwriting and musicianship while adding a distinctly British twist. Alongside reissuing the band’s only release, Juggernaut / Fa Ward, this archive dive brings more of their music back into the light.

This double A-sided 10" pairs Time To Unite and Rebel, recorded in the same session over four decades ago and only recently retrieved from the vaults. Time To Unite is a previously unheard roots vocal from the band’s peak years, running just under six minutes and calling for unity in Babylon while saluting some of Jamaica’s national heroes.

Rebel, previously featured on The Midlands Roots Explosion Volume Two, finally gets the single release it deserves. With a slow, sparse build, its military imagery sharpens the song’s call to stand up and fight for what is right.